“Ong Ye Kung Calls for Continued Vaccinations as Booster Uptake Among Seniors Declines “

SINGAPORE — Health Minister Ong Ye Kung reported in Parliament on May 9 that Singapore is experiencing a decline in the first Covid-19 infection wave since transitioning to the Dorscon Green alert level. Although the wave peaked at around 4,000 daily infections two weeks ago, current cases have subsided to approximately 3,000 per day. Despite this, over 300 Covid-19 patients remain hospitalized, placing a significant strain on healthcare facilities.

Ong emphasized that the country has navigated this wave without implementing additional public health measures, underscoring the importance of continued Covid-19 vaccinations to maintain public health resilience.

He clarified that the transition to Dorscon Green does not imply that Covid-19 has become less dangerous. Instead, he noted that the population’s resilience has strengthened due to vaccinations, booster shots, and recovery from previous infections, allowing Singapore to manage the virus as an endemic disease.

Ong stressed the critical need for individuals to stay updated with vaccinations according to the Ministry of Health’s recommendations to sustain high levels of resilience.

Data from the first four months of 2023 indicate that seniors aged 60 and above remain particularly vulnerable to severe illness from Covid-19. However, those who kept their vaccinations up to date experienced significantly lower rates of severe illness. For instance, approximately 7.5% of unvaccinated seniors developed severe conditions requiring hospitalization, while those with minimal protection—three doses of mRNA or Novavax vaccines or four doses of Sinovac—had a rate of about 4%.

Seniors who maintained their vaccination status, meaning their last shot was within the past 12 months, experienced an even lower incidence of severe illness at 3.4%.

Unfortunately, Ong noted a concerning trend: the proportion of vaccinated seniors aged 60 and above who have kept their vaccinations updated has declined from 58% at the beginning of the year to 50% currently. He cautioned that vulnerable individuals who opt against vaccinations face a heightened risk of infection by the Omicron variants, which can lead to severe health issues.

Additionally, Ong provided an update regarding myocarditis cases related to Covid-19 vaccinations, particularly in young males aged 12 to 30. He noted that the local incidence of vaccine-related myocarditis is very low—about one in 100,000 doses—and even lower (0.1 in 100,000 doses) with the latest bivalent mRNA formulations.

As of April 27, 2023, Singapore has administered over 17 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, with 160 reports of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with the vaccines. The majority of these cases have been mild and responsive to treatment.

The Minister also mentioned the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (Vifap), reporting that out of approximately 340 cardiology-related applications received, 81 have been approved, with financial assistance provided to applicants.

Ong highlighted that while myocarditis was identified as a safety signal in June 2021, a review of Vifap applications prior to that date did not show any cases of myocarditis. He reassured that current Covid-19 vaccines are not known to be causally linked to any other cardiac conditions aside from myocarditis.